While we may go on and on extolling the virtues of woodcase pencils, fountain pens, gel pens, and rollerballs, something must be said about the universality of the humble ballpoint. When you think of a pen, the first thing that comes to mind is the ballpoint, and it's easy to see why; they're everywhere.

But that was not always the case. Back before the invention of the ballpoint, every bit of ink writing needed to be done with a fountain pen. Though many enjoy using fountain pens, the need to fill, clean, and maintain them is seen as a hobby to some and a chore to others. To cater to the need for a self-contained ink-filled writing instrument, one that could write on nearly any paper, no matter how cheap (try writing on newsprint with a fountain pen), and anywhere, including an airplane, Laszlo Biro introduced the ballpoint pen in 1938. After buying the patent from him in 1945, Laszlo Biro introduced the Bic Cristal in 1950. The "Biro," as it is known in many countries, is the archetype of the "pen." And, at only $1 for ten of them, it's the cheapest good writing instrument out there, to this day. Pencils in this range include the woodcased Dixon #2, which has been accepted as one of the worst pencils out there, and the Papermate Write Bros mechanical, which bends, cracks, and breaks in less than a week. I will acknowledge that in terms of overall writing experience, you can do much better with the likes of a fountain pen or rollerball, or even a premium woodcase pencil, but that's not the real point of the Bic Cristal. The Cristal is versatile, dependable, and really, really cheap, and that's what makes it classic.

breather hole in cap to prevent small children from choking on it

tungsten-carbide ballpoint made to precision of 0.1 microns

The Review

Fit/Finish: The hexagonal shape and long, thin body are tributes to the traditional woodcase pencil, and makes the pen comfortable to hold while simultaneously resisting rolling off a desk. Mold lines are visible, but not too sharp to the touch, and the clear body makes it easy to see when you'll run out of ink. The pen is surprisingly robust, and will not bend or crack in the hand.

I used to have a video to a really fantastic video of how Bic Cristals are made <a href="http://woodclinched.com/2011/06/11/how-its-made-video-dump/">on my blog</a>, but sadly YouTube took it down because of a copyright issue. )-: If I run across it again, I'll post that link here!

This is one of the best pens ever created. I use it every single day, from schoolwork to journaling to drawing, and you don't have to give it any extra care like some of the other pens out there. The Dixon #2 is cheap firewood, in my opinion; the body feels cheap and writing with it is super scratchy, like a needle on a hard surface. The Bic Cristal is the best, period, in many aspects. I love your review.

Reply

Tony

4/22/2016 09:20:44 pm

Oh man, I love this pen to write with. Though I prefer the black medium point. Like Enrique said, it has a variety of uses, but I mainly use it for writing stories/ideas/whatever on my legal pad I always carry around.

Reply

Gustavo

4/23/2016 10:34:55 am

i am using a black ink cristal pen from bic , made in mexico,1.6mm
it let ink drops all over my work and my fingers ,and if you run your hand over the work it smears ink on the page, thu ruininig the work.

i do not want chip pens ,ratter pay more more the pens but doing my work only once.
I bought the pens at walmart in pompano beach ,florida.